Lordie, God's Message For You Today, August 1, 2011

Daily Bible Reflections for August 1, 2011 Dear Lordie, Conquer this new week with God's Word in your heart! Praying for you, Bo Sanchez PS. Do you live in the Philippines? Sign up for Bo's weekly  cellphone message. This is FREE. (That is why you have to live in the Philippines to sign up for this service.) Text:   BOSEZ_<your full name>_ <your email address> and send to any of the following numbers: Globe (09178494444); Smart (09088949999); Sun (09228945555) And you'll start receiving Bo's inspiring message to encourage you, guide you, and bless your week.   1 August Monday TODAY'S READINGS: DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH DIDACHE   Key to God’s Supply Room   “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” – Matthew 14:17   “Lord, thank you for giving us a nice parking slot.” You might think I’m crazy for disturbing God for something as silly as a parking space. But I believe He doesn’t mind if it’s a parking space or a few million dollars. Because I have the key to His supply room: trust. Two years ago, we created a five-year plan for Anawim, our ministry for the abandoned elderly. I told my team I wanted to build five new houses in five years. I figured that’s how long it would take for us to raise the needed money. God must have heard us planning that day — and laughed. Because what I thought would take five years, God supplied in three months. I’m not kidding. Five friends told me they’d be donating one building each, costing one million pesos a piece. Amazing! But then I had another problem. Anawim wasn’t ready to sustain the additional number of elderly we’d be accommodating. It would take a few millions more for their food, medicines and the staff needed! What should I do? Walk into God’s supply room and get what I need. You should learn to do this, too, for all your needs.                                                                                    Keep giving in faith. And keep asking in faith. Bo Sanchez (bosanchez@kerygmafamily.com) 1 REFLECTION: How big is your trust?   Lord, help me to trust that with You, all things are possible.     Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top COMPANION   1st READING   In the dialogue between Moses and God, we see an example of genuine prayer. Moses is real. He expresses all his frustrations and hurts to God. God does not reject Moses because of his honesty. God will not reject us, too, when we come to Him and truly express what is in our hearts. In fact this is what God our Father wants — our honesty and sincerity.   Numbers 11:4-15 4 The children of Israel lamented, “Would that we had meat for food! 5 We remember the fish we used to eat without cost in Egypt, and the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. 6 But now we are famished; we see nothing before us but this manna.” 7 Manna was like coriander seed and had the appearance of bdellium. 8 When they had gone about and gathered it up, the people would grind it between millstones or pound it in a mortar, then cook it in a pot and make it into loaves, which tasted like cakes made with oil. 9 At night, when the dew fell upon the camp, the manna also fell. 10 When Moses heard the people, family after family, crying at the entrance of their tents, so that the LORD became very angry, he was grieved. 11 “Why do you treat your servant so badly?” Moses asked the LORD. “Why are you so displeased with me that you burden me with all this people? 12 Was it I who conceived all this people? or was it I who gave them birth, that you tell me to carry them at my bosom, like a foster father carrying an infant, to the land you have promised under oath to their fathers? 13 Where can I get meat to give to all this people? For they are crying to me, ‘Give us meat for our food.’ 14 I cannot carry all this people by myself, for they are too heavy for me. 15 If this is the way you will deal with me, then please do me the favor of killing me at once, so that I need no longer face this distress.”   P S A L M   Psalms 81:12-13, 14-15, 16-17 R: Sing with joy to God our help. 11 [12] “My people heard not my voice, and Israel obeyed me not; 12 [13] so I gave them up to the hardness of their hearts; they walked according to their own counsels.” (R) 13 [14] “If only my people would hear me, and Israel walk in my ways, 14 [15] quickly would I humble their enemies; against their foes I would turn my hand.” (R) 15 [16] “Those who hated the LORD would seek to flatter me, but their fate would endure forever, 16 [17] while Israel I would feed with the best of wheat, and with honey from the rock I would fill them.” (R)     G O S P E L   In this story where Jesus feeds the five thousand, we see a foretaste of the greater feeding that Jesus will do, not just through the loaves and fish but by His body and blood. The food Jesus fed the crowds nourished their physical bodies while in the Holy Eucharist Jesus nourishes our spirits and  gives us food for eternal life.   ALLELUIA R: Alleluia, alleluia One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. R: Alleluia, alleluia   Matthew 14:13-21 13 When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. 14 When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. 15 When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 He said to them, “There is  no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” 17 But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” 18 Then he said, “Bring them here to me,” 19 and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over — twelve wicker baskets full. 21 Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.   my reflections t h i n k : God will not reject us when we come to Him and truly express what is in our hearts.   God’s special verse/thought for me today________________ _________________________________________________________ T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________   _______________________________________________________   READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Ecclesiastes 5-8       Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top SABBATH   PLENTY TO EAT AND WITH lots of LEFTOVER   The parable of the Loaves and Fishes is technically not a story about the abundance of God per se but about the nature of the Kingdom of God and the abundances within in it. All miracles are signs that the Kingdom of God is breaking into our world and changing its nature to the degree that we allow it. Some of the more “modern” theologians like to interpret this event as a lesson about the need to share what we have with others and, if we do this, we will discover that between us all we have more than enough to get by. While there is truth to the moral of the story as just outlined it is not the message of this miracle. This miracle is all about God demonstrating His power to intervene in the lives of those who will entrust everything we have to Him. It is essential that we Catholics believe in the miracles of God as we still need them to help us in our walk as disciples of Jesus. It is not enough to believe that as the Body of Christ, we can together achieve our own salvation and happiness. We need God to intervene in our lives to save us and redeem us from our sins. We need God to be “bigger” than we are or else all is lost! The miracles of Jesus are signs of the Kingdom of God not just another parable or two. The miracles of Jesus are real and historical —we cannot do without them. The miracles of Jesus are still occurring today all over the world where people have the faith to ask for them. I hope we are numbered among these people! It is time for us to forget about the skepticism of the world and believe. Let us believe in all that God promises in the Scriptures, including the miracles and the power to perform them in our day. Miracles are part of our Christian heritage and I, for one, am not about to give them up! Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL   Reflection Question: Do I really believe that God still works miracles today — that he could even work a miracle through my weak faith?   Lord Jesus, help me to trust in God’s power and love as You did and to never doubt that You want to be a part of my life.   St. Sofia, pray for us.   Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top

Do You Want Your Friend To Receive This Email? Friend's Email: 1.  The FEAST is the one of the happiest places on earth. Find one near you! PICC Sunday (2 sessions) 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. 10:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. PICC, Roxas Blvd.   Pasig Sunday (2 sessions) 10:00 a.m. - 12 noon 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Valle Verde Country Club (beside The ULTRA)   Quezon City Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 12 n.n. Convention Hall, Bureau of Soils, Visayas Ave., Q.C.   Saturday 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. GT-Toyota Asian Center, Magsaysay St. cor. Katipunan Ave.   Alabang (4 sessions) Sunday 11:00 a.m - 12:30 p.m.  1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.  4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.   Wednesday  7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.   2/L X-site Entrance, Festival Mall, Alabang  Tel. No. 659-8299                        Laguna Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 12 n.n. Cinema 1, SM Sta. Rosa, Laguna   Cavite Sunday 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Cinema 5, Robinson's Mall, Imus, Cavite   Taytay Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Valley Fair Arcade, Ortigas Ext. Taytay, Rizal Valenzuela Sunday 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Cinema 1, SM Valenzuela, Valenzuela Contact no. 09175789554   Ortigas Monday 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Cinema 3, Robinsons Galleria, F. Ortigas Ave., Pasig City               Makati Thursday, 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. AIM Conference Center, Benavidez cor Paseo de Roxas   Manila (2 sessions) Friday, 4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m             7:00 p.m.. - 10:00 p.m. Cinema 4, SM Manila (near City Hall), Manila              Marilao (3 sessions) Friday  5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Barcelona Academy, Marilao, Bulacan Saturday, 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.                 7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Cinema 2, SM Marilao, Bulacan    Baliuag Saturday 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Cinema 1, SM Baliuag, Bulacan Contact no. 09175332756/2920044   Cardona Saturday 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Queen Mary Help of Christians Hospital, National Road, Calahan, Cardona   CEBU Tuesday 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. CAP Auditorium, Cebu City Contact nos. 4128142/09212413801/09232908009   DAVAO  Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. 4/L Alexian Brothers Health and Wellness Center, Matina, Davao City Contact nos. 0822865081/0922251822  2. Need Counseling?  Call a friend for counseling at  09228407031, 7266728, 7264709, and 7259999 Mon-Fri 24-hrs, Sat 6am-5pm, Sun 6am-10am.  3. Free Kerygma Magazine (the one on paper) from Bo. If you're a KerygmaFamily member who regularly supports this ministry with at least P300 or US$20 a month - you'll be receiving a one-year subscription of the KerygmaMagazine in the mail-automatically! If you haven't signed up for KerygmaFamily, join now! http://www.kerygmafamily.com 4. Its now easy to DONATE using the new GlobeTelecom GCASH at http://kerygmafamily.com. 5. DONATE using SMART MONEY - type KFAM_amount and send to 270 6. Put Preacher in Blue Jeans in your Blog or Friendster! Just copy the text in under next to the EMBED keyword under the video. Just like YOUTUBE! 7. Did you receive this email from someone else? To get Bo Sanchez to send it to you personally, log-on to http://kerygmafamily.com. Lots of surprises await. 8. To change your KerygmaFamily member/email settings. Please click here 9. To enter the Audio & Video Teachings, Please click here 10. Forward these to your friends - so they too can read God's Word and be invited to join the KerygmaFamily. They'll Thank you for opening this mountain of blessings to them! 11. Contact Person: Tina   (+632) 9312711 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (+632) 9312711      end_of_the_skype_highlighting    or   + 639178424101 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              + 639178424101      end_of_the_skype_highlighting    or support@kerygmafamily.com

Lordie, God's Message For You Today, July 31, 2011

Daily Bible Reflections for July 31, 2011 Dear Lordie, Celebrate God's love through His Word for you this Sunday! Praying for you, Bo Sanchez PS. Do you live in the Philippines? Sign up for Bo's weekly  cellphone message. This is FREE. (That is why you have to live in the Philippines to sign up for this service.) Text:   BOSEZ_<your full name>_ <your email address> and send to any of the following numbers: Globe (09178494444); Smart (09088949999); Sun (09228945555) And you'll start receiving Bo's inspiring message to encourage you, guide you, and bless your week.   31 July Sunday TODAY'S READINGS: DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH DIDACHE   IN THEIR SHOES   Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” – Matthew 14:16   Many events I covered in the past as a reporter included tragedies, deaths, fatal accidents and killings. I did my best to get the job done — interview people, know the facts and get all the sides. But there came a point when I became desensitized. I would ask mourning interviewees or traumatized victims questions with the right words and appropriate tone but I couldn’t feel for them anymore. This bothered me. I prayed for compassion so I could feel again how it was to be in their shoes and be able to minister to them. In today’s Gospel, Jesus wanted His disciples to also learn compassion. They saw the crowd and asked Jesus to tell them to go home because they couldn’t feed them. But Jesus wanted the disciples to realize that these people had waited long hours, ready to stay put for days to listen to Him. It just wouldn’t be right to send them away. Jesus wanted His disciples to give what they had even if they think it wasn’t enough because He could multiply what they had. This the disciples witnessed with the five loaves and two fish that fed thousands. Carlo Lorenzo (carloflorenzo@yahoo.com) 31 REFLECTION: Do I lack compassion? Am I just doing my job but my heart does not go out to the people around me? Do I hold back in giving because I feel inadequate?   Father, let Your Spirit search the deepest parts of me. Tell me what I lack. Fill me with confidence to give even when I think I’m not enough.     Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top COMPANION   1st READING All our bodily desires are a reflection of more profound and powerful spiritual ones. Our thirst for water is a thirst for love; our hunger is a longing for true spiritual nourishment;  our sexual urges a longing for union with God. By restraining our bodily desires through fasting, we allow the deeper desires to emerge and then experience how wonderfully God meets these deepest longings.   Isaiah 55:1-3 1 Thus says the Lord: All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk! 2 Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what fails to satisfy? Heed me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare. 3 Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life. I will renew with you the everlasting covenant, the benefits assured to David.   P S A L M   Psalms 145:8-9, 15-16, 17-18 R: The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs. 8 The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. 9 The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. (R) 15 The eyes of all look hopefully to you, and you give them their food in due season; 16 you open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. (R) 17 The LORD is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. 18 The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. (R)   2nd READING   St. John of the Cross uses the image of a flame burning in our hearts to describe how God dwells in us through the Holy Spirit. All the trials, hardships, temptations, suffering and pain we endure are the wood that will enkindle the fire of love in our hearts to make it grow greater. Hence, as St. Paul says, nothing can separate us from God’s love since everything can be used to draw us deeper into His love.   Romans 8:35, 37-39 35 Brothers and sisters: What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? 37 No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.   G O S P E L   How often are we faced with situations that are beyond our capacity and resources? Yet this does not excuse us from doing what we can. From this story, we can see that when we offer what we can to the Lord, He can turn our “little” into “much” and meet all the needs.   ALLELUIA R: Alleluia, alleluia One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. R: Alleluia, alleluia   Matthew 14:13-21 13 When Jesus heard of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. 14 When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. 15 When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” 17 But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” 18 Then he said, “Bring them here to me,” 19 and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over — twelve wicker baskets full. 21 Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.   my reflections t h i n k : When we offer what we can to the Lord, He can turn our “little” into “much” and meet all the needs.   God’s special verse/thought for me today________________ _________________________________________________________ T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________   _______________________________________________________   READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Ecclesiastes 1-4 SABBATH PAUSE My weekly time with God THANK YOU LIST Things to be grateful for from the past week ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ SPECIAL NEEDS Things to ask God for in the coming week ________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ HIDDEN TREASURE Most important word God told me this week                                                     _______________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________                                ________________________________________________________________             Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top SABBATH   FROM THE HEART   The late Fr. Pascual Adorable, SJ, whom Buklod-Marriage Encounter members lovingly called “Fr. Ado,” loved to repeat in his talks: “It is the love, not only the power, of Jesus that heals us.” The Gospel narrative about Jesus’ miracle of feeding the five thousand validates this. As the evangelist stresses, it was the pity or compassion that Jesus felt in His heart that made Him do the great favor of healing people, teaching them and feeding them. The mind tends to divide, dichotomize, distinguish. The mind argues and justifies. The heart, on the contrary, opens, reaches out, touches, empathizes, sympathizes, understands. Hence, the heart, which many times expresses itself in music and arts, has a universal appeal. It bridges people, regardless of race, color and creed. The heart appeals to our common humanity and, therefore, to human solidarity. Christian ministry is not so much a challenge to preach the Good News through creative and discursive ways. Many a times, the simpler and more humane way of ministry — one that comes from the heart — is what proves effective. People are impressed by ideas but they are moved not by ideas. Passion from the heart is what truly touches people. With a sincere passion, people identify with another’s vision. The scribes and the Pharisees were persons of intelligence and ideas. They were respected and were seen as a group apart. Jesus, on the contrary, spoke about God’s truth from His heart. People began to say, “He speaks with a different authority... not like the scribes and the Pharisees.” Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP   Reflection Question: Recall some persons whom you consider as “heart persons.” Recall also some persons who impress you as “head persons.” Compare the impact of their words and works to your life.   May my words and works, Lord, always come from my heart and speak of Your love for Your people.   St. Neot, pray for us.   Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top

Do You Want Your Friend To Receive This Email? Friend's Email: 1.  The FEAST is the one of the happiest places on earth. Find one near you! PICC Sunday (2 sessions) 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. 10:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. PICC, Roxas Blvd.   Pasig Sunday (2 sessions) 10:00 a.m. - 12 noon 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Valle Verde Country Club (beside The ULTRA)   Quezon City Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 12 n.n. Convention Hall, Bureau of Soils, Visayas Ave., Q.C.   Saturday 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. GT-Toyota Asian Center, Magsaysay St. cor. Katipunan Ave.   Alabang (4 sessions) Sunday 11:00 a.m - 12:30 p.m.  1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.  4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.   Wednesday  7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.   2/L X-site Entrance, Festival Mall, Alabang  Tel. No. 659-8299                        Laguna Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 12 n.n. Cinema 1, SM Sta. Rosa, Laguna   Cavite Sunday 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Cinema 5, Robinson's Mall, Imus, Cavite   Taytay Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Valley Fair Arcade, Ortigas Ext. Taytay, Rizal Valenzuela Sunday 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Cinema 1, SM Valenzuela, Valenzuela Contact no. 09175789554   Ortigas Monday 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Cinema 3, Robinsons Galleria, F. Ortigas Ave., Pasig City               Makati Thursday, 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. AIM Conference Center, Benavidez cor Paseo de Roxas   Manila (2 sessions) Friday, 4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m             7:00 p.m.. - 10:00 p.m. Cinema 4, SM Manila (near City Hall), Manila              Marilao (3 sessions) Friday  5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Barcelona Academy, Marilao, Bulacan Saturday, 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.                 7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Cinema 2, SM Marilao, Bulacan    Baliuag Saturday 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Cinema 1, SM Baliuag, Bulacan Contact no. 09175332756/2920044   Cardona Saturday 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Queen Mary Help of Christians Hospital, National Road, Calahan, Cardona   CEBU Tuesday 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. CAP Auditorium, Cebu City Contact nos. 4128142/09212413801/09232908009   DAVAO  Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. 4/L Alexian Brothers Health and Wellness Center, Matina, Davao City Contact nos. 0822865081/0922251822  2. Need Counseling?  Call a friend for counseling at  09228407031, 7266728, 7264709, and 7259999 Mon-Fri 24-hrs, Sat 6am-5pm, Sun 6am-10am.  3. Free Kerygma Magazine (the one on paper) from Bo. If you're a KerygmaFamily member who regularly supports this ministry with at least P300 or US$20 a month - you'll be receiving a one-year subscription of the KerygmaMagazine in the mail-automatically! If you haven't signed up for KerygmaFamily, join now! http://www.kerygmafamily.com 4. Its now easy to DONATE using the new GlobeTelecom GCASH at http://kerygmafamily.com. 5. DONATE using SMART MONEY - type KFAM_amount and send to 270 6. Put Preacher in Blue Jeans in your Blog or Friendster! Just copy the text in under next to the EMBED keyword under the video. Just like YOUTUBE! 7. Did you receive this email from someone else? To get Bo Sanchez to send it to you personally, log-on to http://kerygmafamily.com. Lots of surprises await. 8. To change your KerygmaFamily member/email settings. Please click here 9. To enter the Audio & Video Teachings, Please click here 10. Forward these to your friends - so they too can read God's Word and be invited to join the KerygmaFamily. They'll Thank you for opening this mountain of blessings to them! 11. Contact Person: Tina   (+632) 9312711 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (+632) 9312711      end_of_the_skype_highlighting    or   + 639178424101 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              + 639178424101      end_of_the_skype_highlighting    or support@kerygmafamily.com

Lordie, God's Message For You Today, July 30, 2011

Daily Bible Reflections for July 30, 2011 Dear Lordie, This Saturday, let God give you rest in His Spirit. Praying for you, Bo Sanchez PS. Do you live in the Philippines? Sign up for Bo's weekly  cellphone message. This is FREE. (That is why you have to live in the Philippines to sign up for this service.) Text:   BOSEZ_<your full name>_ <your email address> and send to any of the following numbers: Globe (09178494444); Smart (09088949999); Sun (09228945555) And you'll start receiving Bo's inspiring message to encourage you, guide you, and bless your week.   30 July Saturday TODAY'S READINGS: DIDACHE | COMPANION | SABBATH DIDACHE   Barriers of Hate   “When you sell land to an Israelite or buy land, do not deal unfairly.” – Leviticus 25:14   It was eight meters high and 800 kilometers long. I saw a portion of the structure called Sharon’s Wall of Shame at the Holy Land. The wall was built by Israel’s leaders to keep the Palestinians out of the Jewish settlements. The cost to build the wall was staggering. But even more staggering is the magnitude of how a group of people can hate so much. But I realized that I have my own “wall of shame” when I put barriers in my mind in accepting other people’s opinions, biases and even simple practices. I have my own sets of habits that I keep, some of which are not good. When  people like my wife, friends and mentors try to change these habits, sometimes an unpleasant clash ensues. These clashes first happen in the mind and eventually come out of the mouth. Hatred is one of the fruits of such barrier. Let’s demolish these walls by taking on wisdom from reading and reflecting on Scripture. Let’s take on the love of Christ, for in God’s love, there are no barriers. Rolly España (rnespana@nwineskin.com) 30 REFLECTION: Are you bull-headed in your opinions and do not accept others’ views?   Change me, oh Lord, that I may have Your kind of thinking and love.     Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top COMPANION   1st READING   God’s economic policy for His people was radical. On the 50th year, all debts were to be cancelled and all land and property was to return to its original owners. All slaves were to be set free as well. The huge disparity in wealth that exists today is not God’s will. We all have a responsibility to ensure that we pay our workers more than the basic wage so that they can live with true dignity as children of God.   Leviticus 25:1, 8-17 1 The LORD said to Moses on Mount Sinai, 8 “Seven weeks of years shall you count — seven times seven years — so that the seven cycles amount to forty-nine years. 9 Then, on the tenth day of the seventh month let the trumpet resound; on this, the Day of Atonement, the trumpet blast shall re-echo throughout your land. 10 This fiftieth year you shall make sacred by proclaiming liberty in the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when every one of you shall return to his own property, every one to his own family estate. 11 In this fiftieth year, your year of jubilee, you shall not sow, nor shall you reap the aftergrowth or pick the grapes from the untrimmed vines. 12 Since this is the jubilee, which shall be sacred for you, you may not eat of its produce, except as taken directly from the field. 13 In this year of jubilee, then, every one of you shall return to his own property. 14 Therefore, when you sell any land to your neighbor or buy any from him, do not deal unfairly. 15 On the basis of the number of years since the last jubilee shall you purchase the land from him; and so also, on the basis of the number of years for crops, shall he sell it to you. 16 When the years are many, the price shall be so much the more; when the years are few, the price shall be so much the less. For it is really the number of crops that he sells you. 17 Do not deal unfairly, then; but stand in fear of your God. I, the LORD, am your God.”   P S A L M   Psalms 67:2-3, 5, 7-8 R: O God, let all the nations praise you! 1 [2] May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us. 2 [3] So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation. (R) 4 [5] May the nations be glad and exult because you rule the peoples in equity; the nations on the earth you guide. (R) 6 [7] The earth has yielded its fruits; God, our God, has blessed us. 7 [8] May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear him! (R)   G O S P E L   St. John the Baptist died because he was unafraid to tell King Herod that in taking his brother’s wife he was committing adultery. Here we see the qualities of a true servant of God and the type of character that we desperately need in the world today when so many leaders seek only popularity and fame rather than following what is morally right.   ALLELUIA R: Alleluia, alleluia Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. R: Alleluia, alleluia   Matthew 14:1-12 1 Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus 2 and said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.” 3 Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, 4 for John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people, for they regarded him as a prophet. 6 But at a birthday celebration for Herod, the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests and delighted Herod 7 so much that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests who were present, he ordered that it be given, 10 and he had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. 12 His disciples came and took away the corpse and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.   my reflections t h i n k : The huge disparity in wealth that exists today is not God’s will.   God’s special verse/thought for me today________________ _________________________________________________________ T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________   _______________________________________________________   READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Proverbs 28-31       Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top SABBATH   THE PROBLEM WITH PROPHETS   Prophets are the mouthpiece of God. This is the literal meaning of the Hebrew word, “nab.” Prophets are God’s gift to a nation, to a church, to a community. In the Old Testament, Yahweh always tried to bring back the Israelites to the path of righteousness through the ministry of prophets. In our Gospel, we hear how even King Herod was touched by the proclamations of John, the last prophet. Like King Herod, though, we live to regret that we never heed the words and follow the examples of prophets. Like Herod, we tend to appreciate prophets after they are gone. As the proverbial words of the Holy Book puts it, “No prophet is acceptable in his native place.” To this we can add, “No prophet is acceptable in his own time!” What makes prophets hard to accept? 1. Prophets are not diplomats. We want to hear about mistakes and the need to reform our ways, but we want this expressed in a gentle and kind manner. However, the prophets are often too naive, too plain and too loud with their words. They do not sugar-coat their talk. They seem to be imprudent at times, too sharp with the way they teach. 2. Prophets confront us with their ways. More than their words, prophets challenge us with their ways, their lifestyle. They reveal to us that it is not impossible to live with the ideals of humility, simplicity, truthfulness, chastity of mind and heart. They make us see that what sets us apart from our ideals is not impossibility but our lack of resolve and our compromising ways. They mirror to us the best of self that we fail to achieve. 3. Prophets make us envy their joy. We take a lot of effort and a lot of detours in trying to be happy and blessed. Prophets show us a direct way that we oftentimes fail and do not want to embrace: the way of detachment and simplicity. Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP   Reflection Question: Have you known someone whom you can consider as a present-day prophet? What makes you regard this person as a prophet? What attracts you to him? What do you find difficult to follow and accept in him?   Lord, send us prophets every now and then who will challenge us to reform our ways.   St. Hatebrand, pray for us.   Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top

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